Edwin d



(No Mod'el.)

z E. D.MELLBN.

SOAP DIE..

TNO. 549,2'74.

Patented Nov. 5, 1895.

Nb .N mi

A -H mi UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVIN D. MELLEN, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CURTIS, DAVIS da CO., OF SAME PLACE.

SOAP-DIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,274, dated November 5, 1895.

i Application led May l0, 1892. Serial No. 432,463. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN D. MELLEN, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soap-Dies, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has relation to means for molding cakes of soap in a soap-press; and it is the purpose of the invention to provide such improvements in dies as will enable the work of molding soap to be performed with the utmost expedition and obviate the necessity of providing special means for removing the pressed cakes from the molds.

To these ends the invention consists, first, of an improved die comprising in its construction a central or panel part and an outer or border part, each part being movable independent of the other; second, of two horizontallyarranged dies, both movable into and out of the die-box; third, of horizontally-arranged dies, both movable into and out of the diebox and a support for the soap between the dies; fourth, of two independently movable dies, each comprising in its construction a central or panel part and an outer or border part, each part being movable independent of the other,and, fifth, of improvements incidental to the foregoing, all as will be more particularly described hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, wherever they occur.

Of the said drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of the improved horizontally-arranged dies, the die-box, and supports for the die in connection with the temporary support for the soap, showing the latter as having been fed between the dies andv previous to being acted upon thereby. Fig. 2 is asimilar View showing both dies in the dieebox in the act of pressing a cake or bar of soap. Fig. 3 is a view showing the position of the parts immediately after the molded soap has been ejected from the die-box. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the position the soap frequently assumes after ejection from the die-box. Fig. 5 is a view showing the manner of completely freeing the dies from or separated, as represented in Fig. l.

the molded soap. Fig. 6 is a view representing the dies as having returned to their original position and the molded soap as dropping from the position therebetween. Fig. 7 is a face view of one of the improved dies.

In the drawings, A vdesignates what I term the positive or striking die and B the negative or buffer die. Each die is arranged to operate horizontally and is eomposed of two independently-movable parts, a panel or central part d and an outer or border part b.

c designates the die-box in which the soap is pressed, and which forms a guide and bearing for the negative or buffer die, and d is a guide or collar through which the positive or striking die is arranged to slide.

e designates a bar or cake of soap, which may be fed between the horizontally-arranged dies by any suitable means and be `supported before being acted upon by a movable slide f or other suitable means, which may be moved out of the way when the soap is discharged from the dies.

In the use of the invention, as represented in the drawings, a cake or bar e of soap will be fed or placed between the dies upon the slide f at a time when the dies are retracted In the next operation the negative die will retreat into the die-box c and the positive die will advance, carrying the cake or bar of soap e into the box, and in conjunction with the negative or buffer die will press or mold it therein, all as is represented in Fig. 2. After pressing the soap the outer or border portion of each die will return to its original position, while the central or panel part a of each die will be thrust outward therefrom, thus breaking the contact of the soap with the outer parts, as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

It has been found in practice that the soap sometimes adheres to the negative die, as shown in the last-mentioned figure, though it frequently sticks to the positive die, as shown in Fig. 4. To entirely and certainly free the material from the dies the central or inner parts of both dies may be drawn inward and the outer or border parts thrust outward, as shown in Fig. 5, thus breaking contact of the soap with the central parts,

lSo

IOO

after which both parts of both dies may be drawn back, leaving the soap free to fall, the slide f or other support having previously been withdrawn or removed.

The invention is in no sense confined to the mode of operation herein described, as it will appear obvious that the dies may be operated in different time and order for the purpose of freeing the soap therefrom. It will be seen,

also, that in some instances each of the dies,`

when horizontally arranged and operated, may be made of a single part and be operated in conjunction with the temporary support for the soap between the dies and the die-box to press the soap and free themselves therefrom.

The improvements maybe employed in connection with reciprocating dies, or with dies which have a reciprocating motion only imparted thereto, and may be used in pressing or molding other substance than soap.

Then my improved dies are employed in a cylinder-machine, such as is described in a patent granted to myself and George C. Beckwith, dated January 22, 1895, and numbered 532,891, it will be observed that the cylinder will afford an equivalent of the movable slide or support herein shown.

By arranging and operating the dies horizontally it is made feasible to free the dies from the soap by the gravity of the latter, and this feature of the construction and relationship of the parts are important parts of the invention.

The border part of each die may extend around the panel part or across, above, and below the same.

By the improvement soap can be most expeditiously pressed and ejected from the dies with absolute certainty and without the aid of special ejecting devices.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it maybe made or all of the modes of its employment, I declare that what I claim isl. A die for pressing soap comprising in its construction, a central or panel part, and an outer or border part, each part being movable independently of the other part, whereby the operative face of the panel part can be advanced to a plane in front of, or in rear of: the operative face of the border part, and vice versa.

2. Soap-pressing means comprising in its construct-ion two opposin g independently movable dies adapted to engage and press a cake of soap between them, each die consisting of a plurality of parts, each part being movable independently of the other, substantially as set forth.

3. Soap-pressing means comprising in its construction a die-box, two independently movable dies adapted to move into and out of the die-box and to engage and press a cake of soap between them, each die consisting of a plurality of parts, each part being movable independently of the other, substantially as set forth.

4f. Soap-pressing means comprising in its construction a die-boX, two independently movable dies adapted to move into and out of the die-box and to engage and press a cake of soap between them, each die consisting of a plurality of parts each part being movable independently of the other, and a movable slide or support for temporarily supporting the cake or bar of soap between the dies.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 27th day oi. April, A. D. 1892,

EDVIN D. MELLEN.

lvitnesses GEORGE C. BEeKwITI-r, ARTHUR NV. CRossLnv. 

